The Artwork of Lillian Annin Pettingill

Amy Vach

Catalog Number: 1984.130.20

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

Lillian Gleason Annin was born in 1871 in Le Roy, N.Y., to James and Priscilla Annin. She was the youngest of seven children. At the age of 16, she graduated from Ingham University with a degree in Fine Arts. Records from Ingham University, one of the few all-women liberal arts colleges at the time, indicate that Lillian was an assistant art teacher at Ingham University for one term. A year later, Lillian taught at a university in Nyack on the Hudson. In 1889, she was in charge of the Art Department at the Indianapolis Institute. She was also on the staff of Ohio Western Reserve University.

At the age of 37, Lillian married Claude Pettingill on Dec. 28, 1907, in Bellingham, Wash. Pettingill was the son of Josiah and Eunice Pettingill. Josiah came to La Crosse at a young age and served in public office as county clerk and chairman of the town board. He was also appointed postmaster of La Crosse by President William McKinley. Josiah started the first abstract company in La Crosse, and Claude followed in his father’s footsteps and continued the company after his father’s death. He worked as an attorney, real estate agent and insurance agent.

Lillian and Claude stayed in the Seattle area for about nine years before returning to La Crosse. She painted in the Seattle area and is described as a “rare and collectible artist” in art dictionaries.

When they moved to La Crosse, Lillian became active in the art community and helped found the Art Association of La Crosse. Apart from her involvement in the Art Association, Lillian also provided additional classes for people who desired more instruction. She continued painting and drawing in the La Crosse area. A shift can be seen in her artwork as she transitioned from painting west coast scenes to painting scenes of rivers, valleys and bluffs in the Coulee Region.

Lillian was also involved in the League of Women Voters around 1925 and is mentioned in the La Crosse Tribune as giving talks about the importance of the group. She served as the vice president of the League of Women Voters. Her husband, Claude, died in 1948 and she died in 1953. Her sister-in-law Grace Pettingill Hogan Van Steenwyk donated 20 pieces of artwork created by Lillian Pettingill to the La Crosse County Historical Society in 1984.

Lillian is going to be portrayed in this year’s Discover the Silent City: “Leaving a Mark-Artists of La Crosse.” Her artwork is also available for viewing in a virtual exhibit on the La Crosse County Historical Society’s website at www.lchshistory.org/the-artwork-of-lillian-pettingill.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on August 26, 2017.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

The Magneto from Flight 421

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

Ivy King

Catalog Number: 2014.fic.642

On August 29 1948, the Upper Midwest was going through a heat wave. Weather reports indicated that the day would be nearly clear with a few showers in the La Crosse area. This is the report that Northwest Airlines Flight 421, flying from Chicago to Minneapolis, received. But, later, an unexpected storm was brewing. At around 5:00 pm people in Winona were staring at the sky, watching a growing thunderstorm approach. The thunderstorm grew more intense as it came towards them, with increasing thunder and lightning that was not a part of the initial forecast. It was on this day that Northwest Airlines Flight 421 crashed just outside of Winona.

The airplane was a Martin 2-0-2, and it was a little under a year old. It was a newer, more modern model, and it contained extras such as reading lights and air conditioning. The flight had an experienced pilot and co-pilot: Captain Robert Johnson and David Brenner. The pilot had flown more than five thousand hours, and the copilot, a native of La Crosse, served as a pilot during WWII.

A total of 33 passengers boarded the plane expecting to land in Minneapolis a couple hours later. It departed from Chicago at 3:50 pm. No issues occurred at take-off, and the plane flew to its planned altitude of 8,000 feet as it went over Wisconsin. A little after an hour into the flight the Martin 2-0-2 aircraft reported its position, which was over La Crosse. This would be the airplane’s last check-in, and the pilot’s voice was calm. The plane gained permission to descend a thousand feet.

The plane descended, continued its course, and encountered the unexpected storm. According to eyewitnesses, the plane was spotted below some of the clouds before flying into the edge of the storm clouds. Within seconds the bystanders witnessed the plane falling from the sky. Local farmers claimed the plane barrel-rolled out of the sky even though winds were light.

Winona patrolman Ed Hittner responded to the call of the fallen flight. He waded down into the water himself after finding a wing in a marsh. He met up with a man named Jack Volkel, another pilot, and he recognized the type of plane and understood the possible significance. Immediately, Volkel went to check if any flights were missing.

The plane was mainly torn into four pieces. Parts of the wreckage were found as far as seven miles away from the crash site in a ballpark in Winona. It has been estimated that as many as 20,000 came to the crash scene and offered aid. All of the 33 passengers and four crewmembers on the flight died in the crash.

This piece was collected and donated to the La Crosse County Historical Society by Mayor J. J. Verchota.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on August 19, 2017.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

Glass George Washington souvenir from 1893 World’s Fair

Natalie Van Dam

Catalog Number: 2017.fic.1245

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

In 1893, Chicago hosted the World’s Fair. Called the Columbian Exposition, it celebrated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, along with other great feats of exploration.

The fairgrounds covered more than 600 acres, and about 200 new — and temporary — buildings were constructed before the celebration. The fair, which ran from May 1 through Oct. 30, was attended by more than 27 million people.

The fair boosted Chicago’s image, with improvements in architecture, sanitation and the arts. The event also gave city leaders a chance to demonstrate that it had overcome the destruction from a citywide fire in 1871.

Many widely known figures visited the fair during its six-month run, including songwriter Katharine Lee Bates; activist Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan; and inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Famous musicians who performed at the fair included Joseph Douglass, Scott Joplin and John Philip Sousa.

One of the many souvenirs for sale was this small glass hatchet made by the Libbey Glass Co. It has an engraving of George Washington’s head, and the words above read “The Father of this Country.” The ax references a myth about the nation’s first president and his run-in with his father’s cherry tree when he was a boy.

The La Crosse County Historical Society is home to many souvenirs from world’s fairs and expositions, and this artifact is the epitome of a souvenir. It’s difficult to imagine a more useless item than an ax made of glass. Its sole purpose was to demonstrate to others that you attended the Columbian Exposition.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on August 12, 2017.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.